WUPATKI PUEBLO: A STUDY IN CULTURAL FUSION AND ...

In conclusion, it should be noted that in our goal of
reconstructing cultural history we are hampered "by the fact
that much of the original cultural material is now unavailable
to us. Most of the traits of human culture are either per­
ishable# or as in the case of a kinship system, obviously not
to be found archaeologically. Archaeologists may infer
certain cultural patterns from the limited excavated arti-
factual evidence at their disposal, but proof of the infer­
ences is difficult or impossible to obtain. It is probably
8 '
for this reason that little work has been done archaeologically
to define prehistoric cultural contacts, diffusion, and change.
It is thus fortunate that such a large and varied collection
of artifacts was collected at Wupatki Suin, providing a unique
opportunity for study. In the following pages the emphasis
is on the description and implications of these objects of
material culture, that were recovered by excavations of'the
Museum of Northern Arizona in 1933~3^» and by the National
Park Service excavations of 1936-3? and 19^-^1. Additional
material excavated at later dates is currently under study at
the Southwestern Archaeological Center of the National Park
Service, gila Pueblo, Globe, Arizona.
Site Location and Description
Wupatki Buln is the largest single excavated pueblo
in the Northern Slnagua region, having had about 100 rooms